


Me and my friends are lonely

by Winter_Oswin



Series: Grave Digger Chronicles [3]
Category: Black Panther (2018), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Awesome Shuri (Marvel), BAMF Logan, Developing Friendships, Domestic Avengers, F/M, First Meetings, Flirty Bucky Barnes, Fluff and Angst, Genius Shuri (Marvel), Insecure Wade Wilson, Logan Needs A Hug, Logan is a secret softy, Male-Female Friendship, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Wade Wilson Breaking the Fourth Wall, Wade Wilson is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-01-16 04:55:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18514330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winter_Oswin/pseuds/Winter_Oswin
Summary: "A guide on how to make friends and not get scared by them or scare them away yourself" by Andy Stark , author of the bestseller, "Fuck my image"





	1. Peter Parker

**Author's Note:**

> So this story will have multiple parts, exploring new people Andy meets within the Marvel universe. So far I've planned Peter Parker, Logan, Wade Wilson, Peter Maximoff (The X-Men Movieverse version) Maybe two small ones with MJ and Shuri
> 
> If you'd like to see anyone else, leave suggestions in the comments and also tell me how you like the stories!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andy *appears from nowhere, radiating death*: Sup.  
> Peter: *screeches and runs*  
> Andy: ...was it something I said  
> Ace: Nah he’s just a bitch  
> Tony: *slamming his head against a wall* DONT ENCOURAGE HER
> 
> By Annabellelee13194

**_September 2018_ **

 

The night was cold around them but Andy didn't feel it, not through her suit. Summer had come to an end and autumn had fully arrived with all its rain, its golden leaves and biting wind.

She liked it like that way. It reminded her of England. She never had a good life on the little island on the other side of the pond, she still missed it though.

It's where she was born, it's where her story began. Everybody has three homes in their life. Andy couldn't say where she heard that, couldn't even recall the explanation completely.

It was something like this: Everybody has three homes in their life. A home, not a particular house, a place where their heart resides. The place you're born, the place your story starts, is the first one. England was one of Andy's homes.

A few months ago she went there with Tony, toured around the country, avoided the places where she grew up, still felt like home.

New York reminded her of that this time of year. Though the city was incomparable to London, the architecture, the people, even the noise of the city, it was different, but still home.

New York was her second home, the one where she'd spend her life, even if she left, she'd always return to it. It's where she met her father, where she learned to be a person, it's where some of the people she loved most felt at home, too. Isn't that what a home is supposed to be, a place where your family is?

When it came to her third home Andy didn't know where it would be, yet. No one ever knows. It's the place you die, the place your ghost resides. Andy thought of all the times she almost bit the dust, all the times she didn't. She wasn't ready, hopefully wouldn't be for a long time.

"You done brooding?", Ace asked, stepping beside her, pulling her out of her thoughts. Andy's focused snapped back to reality, to the city beneath them. Ace and her were standing on top of an apartment complex in Queens. It was dark out, in the city you could barely see the stars.

"I'm not brooding. I had MISHA scan the surroundings to see if he's out.", she snapped back.

Ace smirked slightly and she knew that it was because of the name. MISHA. Ace had given Andy that name years ago. It's what gave him away. Gave away that he had a heart. He saw a person, not some HYDRA weapon, people need names, real ones. Andy knew what it felt like to not even have that.

That's why she named her AI MISHA, because the name ment a lot. Much more than Ace could ever admit or he'd choke on his pride.

Tony created MISHA for Andy. A soft voice, a reassuring friend, a great listener too. He coded her so that she could have discussions with Andy, would understand Andy's humor, knew what to do when Andy lost it.

Sometimes she wondered how human Tony's bots really were, if they had crossed the line into consciousness already. Then again, Andy didn't know anyone more human than her father. If anyone could make a machine understand the human condition, it'd be him.

"And did she find the little crawler?", Ace asked, stretching his wings while his eyes scanned their surroundings.

"I've located him. ", MISHA's soft voice said in Andy's ear and a tracking point appeared before her vision.

Andy smirked as she turned to face Ace, piercing green eyes, sharp, dangerous. He was wearing his hair long these days and they curled like crazy, they sometimes looked like siblings, it felt like it, too. Ace was Andy's brother in anything but blood.

She flashed her smile, the dangerous one. That's what Bucky called it. "You smile like the devil, like you've seen all of this God awful world and it left you unscathed. In a way, you did.", he once said and Andy couldn't quite place the look in his eyes, the feeling in her chest.

 _Dangerous_. It's a word often affiliated with Andy these days. Stark, made of Iron, a mystery, a monster, the berserker, the survivalist. They all had something in common. _Danger_. Andy stopped caring about what the public thought of her, at least she tried to.

"Last one there has to wash up!", she then announced before launching herself off the roof.

"Fu-", she only heard Ace exclaim before the noise of the wind in her ears became the only thing. She fell and fell and then she turned on the repulsors and she wasn't falling anymore, rising, flying through the night sky, following the target.

She knew that Ace was right behind her, she always knew where he was, right behind her, keeping her covered.

The target was a boy according to their research. Peter Parker, 17, on the street they called him Spiderman. He spend his days swinging through the city, crawling up walls, preventing petty crime and helping out grandmas.

He had been doing that for years and for the longest time there was no reason to get involved. Tony had been monitoring him for a while now, the way he did with a lot of supers, in case someone needed help. But lately Spiderman started to get into bigger, more dangerous stuff and Tony, because he's Tony, got worried.

Her father had the habit to adopt lost souls. The broken, the unwanted. Andy knew what that said about herself but at least she was in good company.

When her dad saw someone in over their head, he had to help them out. Training, a suit, mentorship, support, that was their offer to Spiderman.

Tony send Andy and Ace to retrieve him. As dangerous as the public portrayed Andy to be, her own generation loved her, trusted her to do the right thing, it was still baffling to her.

She found Spiderman on another rooftop, crouching on the edge in his red and blue pajamas but he must've heard her coming because before she even landed he already spun around.

Andy couldn't see his face with the mask and goggles but judging by the way he almost stumbled off the roof Andy could tell that he was shocked.

"Hello Spiderman.", she said, her tone nonchalant, chipper. Ace didn't follow her here, he was probably not far away, focusing the surroundings, watching out, keeping Andy safe.

"You- you're Andy Stark!", the boy exclaimed, his voice cracking into a higher octave for a second.

"The one and only.", she smirked before putting up the glasses of her helmet. She wanted the screens out of her way. "Thank you for not calling me the Beserker, by the way.", she then added. The name really wasn't growing on her at all.

"You- What are you doing here- I-", the boy gasped and Andy smiled fondly, he was so flustered.

"I wanted to talk to you. Spiderman or should I call you Peter Parker?", she asked, raising an eyebrow. Another gasp, then came the denial.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about, I'm not-"

"Don't bother, we know pretty much everything there is to know about you, we've been watching you for months-", Andy didn't quite get to finish her sentence, the boy already bolted. _Fuck_. This wasn't ideal.

She took off after him when both Ace and her father entered her com. "Now that was shit, wasn't it?", Ace asked and Andy rolled with her eyes. "I thought you were good at this."

"Yeah! So did I!", Andy yelled back. God, it was hard to keep up with this kid, hid movements were so quick and jerky that Andy almost flew into a building twice.

"I'm taking care of this now.", her father's voice said in her ear and Andy felt shame coil in her stomach. _Failure_.

"Tony, let me try again-", she tried to persuade him but her father flew right past her in his Iron Man suit in that moment.

"It's fine. We'll talk about it at home, see you there.", that was it and Andy knew it and with a frustrated groan she stopped there link and started her way back to the Avengers Tower.

~

Tony knew that Andy wouldn't appreciate his help on the mission but it was part of their agreement, she was still in training, if something didn't work out he could step in.

He rarely had to do that especially when it came to fights, strategic missions, espionage or interrogations. Andy was hauntingly good at that. A clear indication of her time at HYDRA.

Tony trusted her expertise in those fields by now. She even had her own little passion project. If that's what you can call her hunt for Dr Keipon, the HYDRA scientist that tortured and experimented on her.

Andy's struggles were all of social and interpersonal nature. Not that anyone expect anything different from someone with her history.

Still, it wasn't that she had trouble figuring others out, she was great at that even given enough time. Tony had, on several occasions, witnessed Andy manipulating someone else for her agenda. It was never malicious, like in Ace's case, she was helping him, too. But she was still consciously doing it.

That's why she should've been good at this. But it wasn't that Andy couldn't figure out others. Tony had the feeling that she hadn't figured out herself yet.

Andy didn't see the way she came off to others that didn't know her. She complained about the name berserker for days, unable to see how that could describe her.

Of course Tony agreed with her, because he knew what she was like on the inside. Andy had a soft heart, like his, hers was just wrapped in much more armor than Tony could ever build for himself.

He took a step back and observed his daughter from an outsider's perspective. The way she fought, brutal, precise, sharp. The way she argued with every politician that would listen to her, viciously throwing their ignorance into their faces, her voice like poison. Even the way she portrayed herself in interviews, photoshoots, on social media, edgy, tough, brutally honest.

Tony knew that it was all a shield and that the real Andy was as scared as ever, hiding behind all her courage. Tony knew that because she was his kid. But for an outsider? Andy was intimidating.

She didn't know that though, couldn't quite switch it off when it came to strangers, no yet, not anymore.

That's what Tony saw on the roof. Spiderman was intimidated, he thought he was in trouble so he bolted, Tony couldn't blame the kid.

He caught up with him and explaineded to him that he wasn't in trouble, that they only wanted to talk about an internship of sorts

. The boy was completely baffled and star struck when Tony invited him to lunch at the avengers Tower the next day and gave him his card. He said he'd come, mission successful. Talking to Andy about what happened was a whole other task.

~

"I'm not disappointed in you!", Tony reassured her for the hundredth time. Andy was passive-aggressively cooking plov, a Russian rice stew that Natasha taught her how to make.

She was getting pretty good at cooking, always training with Natasha and Steve while Bucky laughed at Steve's attempts.

Because Natasha was the teacher almost all the dishes Andy could cook were Russian, too. Tony actually started to learn the language when he noticed that Andy, Natasha, Bucky and Ace all used it regularly and he had an inkling that Steve looked into it as well.

"Of course you are! I fucked it up!", she stated before putting more spices into the stew.

"You're too hard on yourself. You don't have to be perfect at everything right away, you can't be.", Tony argued and Andy halted whatever she was doing. Her back was turned to Tony, he could see the tension in her shoulders, the slight tremble before she shook herself out of it and turned to face him, arms crossed, face neutral, what else.

She looked older, more mature, not a girl anymore, a young woman. Of course Tony knew that Andy had full control over how she looked. That's exactly why he knew that her tough exterior was a conscious choice. Right down to her appearance.

Sharp features, intense eyes, her make-up was dark these days, her hair pin straight, dark, short, hanging loosely into her face. She reminded him of Natasha so much it sometimes scared him. Natasha and Bucky. They understood her best. Tony sometimes envied them for that.

"I don't know how to turn it off.", she stated and Tony knew what she ment, they had talked about it before. "I used to be able to do it, it was an act. I don't know if it still is.", she confessed and the neutral mask cracked a little, she was frustrated with herself. No amount of therapy could ever really fix that. Andy was never satisfied with herself. Tony knew the feeling.

"Hey...Come here...", Tony said softly, offering up his open arms. He always only offered touch, let Andy make the decision, Andy stood closer to him, wrapping her arms around his torso, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I don't want to be a danger.", she whispered brokenly. "I don't want people to fear me."

Once again he saw Bucky in front of him. Kneeling in a panic room, so fucking scared. _"Am sorry... I'm dangerous..._ " They were so God damn similar, it hurt.

"Hey... listen up. You're a good person.", he spoke softly. "They might fear you now but it will turn into respect with time. The last two years in the public eye have been a lot, you did what you had to do to protect yourself. You just need time to open up again.", he reassured her and when she still didn't seem convinced he took it a step further.

"I want you to be there when I meet the Parker kid tomorrow." She raised her head, looking up at her father.

"Really? What if I scare him off?", she asked, so God damn insecure, it was heartbreaking. Tony doubted that his heart would ever stop breaking for Andy.

"You have to start somewhere, right?", he smirked and Andy did so, too. She preferred honesty, didn't like it when Tony sugarcoated anything.

"Okay, I'll try."

~

"Is it better this way?", Andy asked the next day when she stepped into the kitchen.

"What do you mean-", Toby asked before turning around and facing her.

Andy had clearly made an effort to make herself look softer in her appearance. Black Jean's, a soft mustard colored sweater, long curly brown hair, rosy cheeks.

"You're perfect now and you've been perfect before but you know that you don't have to change to be liked by someone else.", Tony argued.

"I know...", Andy groaned, throwing her head back. "But I don't want to seem scary again. "

"Nobody called you scary.", Tony pointed out and Andy rolled with her eyes.

"Yeah, right. I'm only intimidating! So much better.", she stated sarcastically. She tried to tell herself that she didn't care what others thought, especially some random 17 year old, but she did. And caring made her nervous.

"Are you sure you want me there? What if I ruin it again?", she asked only half joking.

"It's going to be fine! Just be yourself. I have complete trust in you!", Tony smiled at her and Andy crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow, challenging Tony.

"Then you're a fool."

~

Peter arrived half an hour later and boy oh boy was he adorable. Andy had seen a picture of him before but he was just as baby faced as she expected. And he looked as nervous as Andy felt, fumbling with his words, staring at both Andy and Tony with wide eyes. He even wore a suit!

For the first half of the meeting Andy let Tony do all the talking and kept to the background, assuming a passive role and listening instead.

Peter told them about how he acquired his powers and the way he got all excited about it gave Andy the feeling that maybe this was the first time he told anyone about it. Maybe no one knew that it was just a kid under the mask.

When the time came for Tony to make his offer the kid was stoked. Of course! Tony Stark wanted to mentor him! Every aspiring hero's dream!

It was strange, seeing her father through someone else's eyes. In the last two years she never quite got used to it.

Tony was her dad, sure, she knew the guy. But he was also Tony fucking Stark! Iron Man! He was a showman, through and through, at least when it came to strangers. A guy with an ego bigger than his empire and more confidence than anyone should ever have.

Of course Andy knew that it was all an act, that Tony was a mess on more occasions than not. Just like her. It was still weird to see him put on this act, though. All suave and 'smarter-than-you'.

Andy wondered if her father ever felt the same way about her, like he was watching a stranger.

After the first phase of the meeting was over Tony left the kitchen to get the food he ordered and Andy couldn't help but to feel like he set this up to give her a second chance with the boy.

"Can I ask you a question?", Peter suddenly asked, his voice timid.

"Yeah, of course!", Andy smiled and Peter nodded slightly before cocking his head to one side.

"How do your friends and family recognize you when you always change appearances?"

The question surprised Andy so much she actually let out a small laugh. "Well, I usually keep certain features the same, I also have a few set looks I mostly alternate between and then there is also my voice that rarely changes and this-"

She pulled at the silver chain around her neck, holding up the medallion Tony gave her to her first fake birthday. They still celebrated that date instead of her actual birthday. It had more meaning.

"I always wear this so that's how you can recognize me, too. Don't tell the paparazzi, though. I sneak past them for fun.", she added and actually got Peter to chuckle, the tension between them slowly eased.

"What is it?", he then asked narrowing his eyes at it.

"It's a part of Toby's old arc reactor. He gave it to me for my birthday. ", Andy explained, a fond smile on her lips.

"Why don't you call him dad?"

The question caught Andy off guard. She never thought all that much about how she referred to her father but there had certainly been a shift.

At first he'd been Stark, then Tony, then dad, then after HYDRA, Tony again. "I do call him that... I didn't grow up with him though and the whole dad thing feels kinda intimate, Tony feels more natural in most situations.", she explained before another smile crept onto her face. "Though I do call him Tinman sometimes, for obvious reasons."

Peter smirked at that, relaxing even more and it was embarrassing what a relief it was to see that.

Still, Andy felt like she should say something about the previous night. She stoppe apologizing for who she was a long time ago but she also never ment to scare anyone, aside from Nancy.

"I'm sorry about how things went down last night. I didn't mean to spook you.", she said carefully and Peter's eyes widened, a blush creeping it's way onto his cheeks.

"I- You didn't spook me, you're just- a little intimidating, and I freaked out-"

 _Great_. Andy just wanted to roll with her eyes but Peter quickly finished his sentence.

"But only on first glance! You seem pretty chill actually!", he claimed and this actually made Andy laugh for real.

"If there is one thing I've never been, it's chill.", she laughed and Peter cracked a smile as well.

"You seem it, though. And you're a badass. I have this friend, MJ, you're her icon.", he smiled and inexplicably Andy's throat grew tight. It always fucking did that when anyone ever said anything nice.

"Then I guess I should meet her.", she winked and the boy's eyes grew wide with excitement.

"OH MY GOD! She'd love that! If you'd do that, that'd be amazing. ", he exclaimed and Andy's smile widened.

"I'm sure that we can arrange something." Peter seemed over the moon, high with the excitement of all the offers he got today.

Still, Andy noticed the slightest trace of doubt when Tony was telling him about the mentorship. Once he calmed down a little she mentioned it.

"By the way, I just wanted to tell you that you can trust in Tony's offer. It might seem too good to be true right now, but it isn't. For starters, take it from someone who's also still in training, he can be a huge pain on the ass!", another chuckle from Peter.

"But he also just wants to do what's best for you and help you reach your full potential." Peter was quiet for a few seconds after that, considering her words. There was still the ghost of a smile on his lips but he seemed thoughtful now.

"I guess I can trust in that if it's coming from you? His greatest student?"

A part of Andy was touched, another made her laugh at that. "Please don't tell him that, his ego doesn't need the boost!", she joked and it was enough to pull Peter out of his serious mood, making him crack up as well.

When Tony came in a few minutes later they were still laughing and didn't stop even when he asked what was so funny.


	2. Wolverine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey, here's the next part of this mini series! I've planned out pretty much all of the chapters for it now so the updates should come a little faster. I also can't wait to get to the next stage of Andy's story which is gonna be a lot darker again. I consider it my version of Civil War.
> 
> Also there is Russian in this one. Я ненавижу ето всё = I hate all of this
> 
> I hope you enjoy it and leave a review, it motivates me so much when I get them!

**November 2018**

Andy had to resist the urge to cling to Bucky's arm not even 10 minutes after she entered the bar, if you could even call it that.

'The Backroom' was a sleezy dive at the side of a road somewhere in fucking-nowhere, Canada. On the outside it looked like your typical shady trucker stop.

The general feel of it all made her skin crawl. The drunk men, smell of booze and cigarettes, the scantily clad women, giggling and trying to win over potential customers. It was all too achingly familiar and Andy was relieved that she didn't go by herself like she planned initially.

The whole operation had been a hot topic anyways. Andy didn't just decide that she wanted to pay this place a visit, she was on a mission.

This wasn't a typical dive, it was also a mutant hotspot. But not in the way that Charles' school was, a place where mutants could live freely and in peace, no, this place was capitalizing on mutants who had nowhere else to go, putting them in cages to fight each other in front of an audience just to earn a little bit of money.

Some of them where forced, others chose it themselves because they had nothing else to turn to and a few maybe even enjoyed it. Still, it was sickening to Andy.

Places like this weren't rare anymore. With the ever present 'mutant crisis' constantly in the news, new cases of violence either committed by or against her kind popped up every day, the climate between the two species was uncomfortable, to put it kindly. Andy would refer to it as a shit-show.

If a Mutant was out, either because they outed themselves, because someone else did it or because they simply couldn't hide their mutation, they were lucky if they managed to keep their job, some even lost their homes.

There were attacks, in school at work, pretty much everywhere. Kids ran away from home and lived on the streets to escape their parents' abuse just because they were different. And the law rarely protected them.

But this wasn't about Andy's activism, not today. She was here for a different reason, her passion project, as Tony referred to it.

Where there was a mutant fight club, there were probably HYDRA scouts not far off and Andy got a tip that scouts that worked for the same HYDRA program she'd been in, were regulars at this place, always searching for possible new recruits.

That's why she hadn't taken Ace here, he was too recognizable with his white wings, especially for HYDRA agents.

But Tony had refused to let her go by herself, especially to a place that could be potentially triggering to her. Andy had roller her eyes at that, thought that her father underestimated her, now she was glad that Bucky was with her.

She'd chosen him because outside of his suit and with his arm covered up he wasn't really recognizable, add a cap to that and his talent to blend into the background and no one suspected a thing. All that Andy had to do was shift into a different appearance than the public knew and bada bing bada boom, they were different people.

Misha Karpov and Kit Mainard from Brooklyn, currently on a roadtrip around the country, they knew each other since community college and were in an on again off again relationship, currently off. Misha worked as a bar keeper and Kit was a mechanic, his family didn't like the idea of him dating a mutant but he didn't care.

At least that's the Story Andy, Ace, Bucky, Steve and Natasha came up with a few days ago while gathered around a game of monopoly. It had been hilarious back then, joking about their undying love for each other, now Andy was just relieved, even if only a little bit.

"Я ненавижу ето всё...", Andy mumbled under her breath as the passed the bar and made their way to the main attraction.

"Yeah, it's charming, isn't it.", Bucky mumbled, glancing around but keeping up a nonchalant facade. "Just look at the bright side.", he then grinned at her. "Your killer looks fit perfectly."

Andy smirked at that, raising an eyebrow. "Are you flirting with me, Kit?", she asked innocently and Bucky shrugged with one shoulder.

"Maybe, but you wouldn't like that, would you?", he asked, his tone cheeky. Andy felt something flutter in her stomach at that, a feeling that she quickly pushed away, just like the blush that was creeping into her cheeks. She attributed that to her nervousness regarding the whole mission.

"Oh fuck off, Kit.", she chuckled like she would if Bucky was her boyfriend, leaned into him and let him throw his arm over her shoulder like they were in love.

It didn't bother her anymore, at least not most of the time, at least not with people she knew. Tony, Bucky, Ace, Steve, Clint and Nat were safe, not a word she used lightly. They could hug, cuddle, brush their hands against each other without fearing that Andy would freak out and she knew that if she was having a day where it wasn't okay, they would touch her.

And yes, she still had them, maybe would have them forever. And when it came to people that weren't as close even little touches could still bother her. They were bearable but it still made her skin itch.

Bucky was okay, though, being with him was easy, it was understanding and solidarity, no fear of judgment whatsoever, more so than with anyone else.

Sure, she trusted Tony, she learned to do that again, and Ace was a great listener, too, but neither of them got it completely.

'It' being all the ways in which Andy still felt incomplete. She was better now, functioning, pretty okay a lot of the time and sometimes she was even happy, really happy.

But Andy still felt like a bunch of random parts that were put together all wrong, like a machine that worked okay but not smoothly, like some pieces were missing and others shouldn't be there at all.

Bucky understood that, more than even Natasha did. He understood what it was like to be put together and ripped apart just to be put together again. They were the same in that sense.

Andy tensed as they made their way through the screaming crowd that was gathered around the large cage where the fight was taking place.

It was tight, hot and sweaty but Bucky walked in front of her, parting the crowd for her and almost acting like a shield with his large figure and broad shoulders.

Once they finally reach the front he placed himself behind her so that she could see what was in front of them and also preventing anyone from coming up behind her.

The fight was brutal, not in the same way Andy or her friends fought, it wasn't as calculated, it was savage.

The main fighter of the night was a guy they called Wolverine. A tall imposing figure, over six feet and 180 pounds of muscle. He was shirtless, showing off his shredded body, somehow it looked even more extreme than Steve. His hair was dark and messy with large sideburns that connected into his beard.

The goal was to beat him, 100 dollars for the winner. Andy could see right away that that wouldn't happen any time soon.

The guy that dared to step into the ring was even larger than the mutant but 'Wolverine' still used him as a human punching bag. And yes, it was quite apparent that he was a mutant. He was too strong, too fast, the other guy had no chance.

Andy diverted her eyes when she heard a crack, she was pretty sure the guy's jaw just broke. The fight wasn't the reason they were here, anyways. Her eyes scanned the crowd, looking for the people from the pictures. HYDRA's scouts.

"You see any of them?", she asked Bucky quietly, knowing that he would still hear her through the cheers of the crowd because of his own heightened senses.

"Not yet, no.", he whispered back. Andy kept her eyes open, trying to spot a familiar face. She'd really hate if they came out here for nothing. They left the fucking country, god damn it. "Are you sure that your source is legit?", Bucky then asked.

"Technically it's Ace's source and how sure can you be when it comes to our lovely friends.", she said sarcastically.

Wolverine slammed his opponent against the walls of the cage while the audience screamed obscenities at him. Andy realized that they were all rooting against him. Someone called him an animal while another chanted 'mutant scum'. It was grotesque. She hated this place.

Finally Wolverine slammed the guy to the floor and this time he stayed down. But there was no satisfaction for him. He just walked to one corner of the cage picking up a water bottle and drinking from it while he waited as the other guy was dragged out of the cage and commentator did his thing, trying to stir up the crowd and get someone else to try to beat the champion. The other mutant seemed almost bored, no, annoyed with it all.

"You're tense.", Bucky pointed out, pulling her out of her thoughts, his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you surprised?", Andy smirked.

"No. But I know exactly what will cheer you up.", he replied, amusement in his tone. Andy turned her face to give him a confused look but Bucky only grinned, nodding towards the cage. "Wanna beat up this guy, blow off some steam?", he asked and and Andy raised her eyebrows.

"He's a beast.", she only stated at which Bucky chuckled before bending down slightly and whispering into her ear.

"Yeah, but you're the berserker." Andy gave him the biggest eyeroll at that.

"You fucking cheeseball, did you really just say that?", she smirked but Bucky only shrugged with a smile.

"Come on, I know that you love a good challenge and we might as well have some fun if we're already here."

The problem was, he was right. He knew exactly that Andy would love to fight this guy. For some reason fighting was safer than regular touch because Andy knew how to do it, she felt in control, not to mention that the adrenaline rush was addictive. She considered it for a solid minute before saying:"Fuck it!", and raising her hand. "I want to try it!", she yelled and the crowd went silent as both the commentator and Wolverine stared at her with disbelief.

"Honey, I don't think that that's a good idea...", the commentator then chuckled and Andy almost cringed at the nickname. Instead she rolled with her eyes and pulled out her wallet, taking out 200 dollars and holding them up.

"200 if he wins.", she said, her tone challenging and she knew that the commentator would take the deal just from the way his eyes lit up.

Surely enough, 2 minutes later, she found herself inside the cage. A strange tension filled the room, the audience was almost silent, waiting for Wolverine to tear a little girl to shreds.

"Don't worry, I'll be easy on you.", her opponent said, his voice gruff, but he didn't sound patronizing like the commentator did when he called her honey. Somehiw he seemed genuine.

"I'm not worried.", Andy smirked before charging towards him without any warning and placing her first kick, straight into his stomach. She heard loud gasps as Wolverine stumbled back a few feet, a shocked expression on his face.

The whole fight wouldn't be as easy, though. She had the element of surprise on her side, after the initial shock it got a lot harder.

Her opponent caught himself and quickly realized that Andy could take a lot more than expected and he stopped pulling his punches.

He was strong, holy fuck was he strong. He was like an unstoppable force, Andy felt her own bones break just by single punches.

Sure, she reset and healed them immediately but it was still impressive. She was pretty sure that he was stronger than her. But Andy had better training and she was smaller. She made a game out of diving under his arms before kicking and punching his back, making him stumble and fall several times.

One time she jumped on his back and wrapped her arm around his throat before starting to choke him.

With an enraged roar he grabbed her and threw her to the ground. Andy was pretty sure that he cracked her skull and she'd regret this later when all her energy was gone and the adrenaline as well but in the moment it felt amazing. Like she was on fire. Fuck, she loved fighting people that were a match to her.

His body was straddling hers and he pressed her wrists to the ground, almost crushing them. "You're not human.", he rasped, his voice strained from being choked second earlier. She almost didn't hear him over the noise of the crowd, they were going absolutely crazy.

"I'm sorry to break it to you but you're not special.", Andy smirked before slamming her head against his and flipping them around so that she was on top of him now.

She then started to ramm her fist into his face, over and over again while she felt his bones break underneath her force. "Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep.", she chuckled until he let out another roar and threw her off him, Andy slammed against the walls of the cage and didn't land gracefully at all but once she picked herself up and faced the Male again, his face was covered in blood, eyes furious, chest heaving.

The next time he placed a punch, directed at her stomach, something was different, the pain was piercing, not dull, like a stab wound, not a punch.

The crowd was suddenly dead silent and Andy looked down to find herself impaled on three long blades that came out of Wolverines fist. She looked up to find that her opponent looked just as shocked as she did.

"Now that's unexpected.", she nodded before grabbing his wrist and twisting it, not caring that she effectively cut herself open, until she heard his bones snap.

Only then she pulled them out before putting all her strength into a single punch, directed at his jaw, knocking him out and ending the fight.

She closed up the wound and turned around, kicking open the door to the cage. The audience watched in awe as she walked up to the horrified commentator, taking the money she won.

~

They waited in a truck for 3 hours until most customers were gone und that Wolverine guy finally came out of the bar.

Andy had insisted on talking to him before they left. If he was a regular at The Backroom, maybe he had seen the guys they were looking for.

Once he finally stepped outside, a cigar between his lips and scowl on his face, Andy and Bucky jumped out of their car, making their way over to him. Bucky stayed behind, letting Andy do the talking.

"Hey Wolfie!", Andy exclaimed, a grin on her face and his eyes shot towards her before his eyebrows drew together. He looked pissed.

"It's you. You wanna have another go, or what?", he snapped and Andy's smile widened.

"Aww... did I bruise your ego?", she chuckled and this time he actually smirked as well.

"Not at all, little girl. Nothin' bruised here. As you can see, you aren't the only one who heals fast." It was true, he looked absolutely fine, no bruises, no broken nose, nothing.

"Well, I'm glad to see that you're fine. Would you do us a favor and answer some questions?", she then asked and he raised his eyebrows.

"Depends on the questions. ", he mused and Andy pulled out her phone, showing him pictures of the scouts.

"You ever seen those guys around here?", she asked. He studied the pictures for a while and Andy watched how his expression darkened even more, if that was even possible.

"Yeah, they usually come on MvM nights.", he nodded before looking up at Andy. "Mutant versus Mutant. Sometimes fighters leave with them, they never return. "

Andy nodded slowly, taking her phone back. They'd have to return on one of those nights. "When are these nights typically?"

"Every second Wednesday, the next one's next week. ", he replied before asking:"These guys, you tryna stop them?"

Andy looked down at her feet, kicked away a stone, looked back up at the stranger. Maybe admitting it was stupid. "What's your name?", she asked and he looked surprised.

He replied anyways:"Logan."

"Okay, Logan. I'm not trying to stop. I will stop them and if it's the last thing I'll do.", she replied, her tone determined.

Logan raised an eyebrow, took a drag from his cigar and studied Andy with sceptical eyes. "They hurt you or somthin'?", he then asked and Andy smirked slightly. It had a bitterness to it.

"You could say that.", she shrugged. "I wasn't always like this."

Logan looked down at his hands, his knuckles where he could apparently grow blades out of. "Neither was I.", he mumbled.

Andy watched at him for a few seconds and she just felt this rage bubble up inside her, it had become a constant companion in the last few years. A furious voice in her head, screaming at the world " _Why?! Why do you treat us like this?! What did we do to you?_!" A lot of the time it was useless, she knew that, but it was still there.

With a sigh she pulled out her wallet and took out the money she won. 400 dollars before holding them out for Logan. "Here. It's yours."

"But you won.", he pointed out with a frown.

"Only because I surprised you. You're stronger than me, I'm pretty sure of it.", she shrugged. "Besides, I'm basically made of money."

Logan eyed her hand skeptically before finally taking the money and pocketing it. "If you put it like this, mutant-girl."

She then also pulled out one of Charles's buisness cards, holding it out as well. "And just in case you ever get tired of punching people for a living, not to say that it isn't fun, I personally love punching people. But if you ever wanna try something else, maybe give this number a ring. And tell them Misha sends you."

Logan took the card and read it before asking:"That your name? Misha?"

"I didn't say that.", Andy returned, a cheeky smile on her face before turning around to leave.

"Why are you givin' me this?", Logan suddenly asked and Andy stopped, facing him again.

"'Cause you deserve better. We all do.", she replied simply.

Logan chuckled but it was a hollow, joyless sound and it made Andy's heart ache a little. "Will I see you next Wednesday?", he asked, ignoring her reply.

Andy stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jacket and let her eyes wander back to the entrance of The Backroom. "I'll be here but... I hope you won't be anymore.", she then replied honestly, giving Logan a sad smile before finally turning around and walking back to Bucky.

"You think he'll call?", Bucky asked as they walked back to the car.

"I don't know. I hope so."

~

The next week Andy was back at The Backroom. Logan was gone.


	3. Shuri

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuri: *exists*  
> Andy: Perfection. Beautiful. A literal goddess. I’m not worthy to breathe your air.
> 
>  
> 
> By Annabellelee13194

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it seems like Andy is crushing on Shuri in this, it's because I am. I love Shuri, I love Letitia Wright, sue me.
> 
> As always I hope you enjoy this chapter and leave a comment and even though these are sort of one shots they are building up to the next installment of this series so some of you might be able to guess what it's going to be about.

**January 2019**

To say that Andy was surprised when she got an e-mail from Shuri, the princess of Wakanda, would've been an understatement.

She'd read a lot about the young woman a few months ago when her country, that had excluded itself from the rest of the world for centuries, finally decided to open up. It was spectacular and all over the news for months. The public knew almost nothing about the little kingdom so when they revealed themselves as the most advanced nation on earth, everyone was equally shocked and amazed.

Their nation's king, T'Challa, was suddenly thrust into international stardom but his little sister Shuri got quite a lot of attention as well for being the mind behind a great deal of Wakandan tech. She was even named as one of Forbes 30 under 30 for her contribution to technology and science, something Andy understood nothing off.

Sure, Andy found herself as one of the recipients of this award as well, for her social work, but she still never thought that she'd be personally contacted by the princess of Wakanda.

"Holy shit. Holy shit, HOLY FUCKING SHIT! THIS ISN'T HAPPENING!", she exclaimed one morning at the breakfast table where she was sitting with Tony and Ace, eating waffles. She'd just read the mail on her phone and it's like her brain suffered from a short circuit.

"Care to elaborate?", Tony asked amused before taking a sip of his coffee. Andy basically thrust the phone into his hand before turning to Ace. She couldn't contain her excitement, a wide grin pulling at her lips.

"Shuri, the princess of Wakanda, invited me to meet her! She fucking did that!", she stated and Ace's eyes widened as well.

"No way!", he snapped before reaching over the table to snatch the phone out of Tony's hands. 

"Hey!", Tony exclaimed but Ace didn't mind as he read the message.

"Holy fuck indeed. Are you gonna go?", he asked her with wide eyes.

"Nah, I thought I'll just kindly decline the offer- are you fucking dense?! Of course I'm meeting her, that's a non-starter!", Andy grinned before glancing over at her father and giving him a cheeky smile.

"Besides, I can't wait to meet the person that's smarter than Tony Stark.", she joked and Tony raised his eyebrows, pretending to be offended.

"Really? You'd do this to your own father, Poppins?", he asked, sounding oh-so shocked.

"Don't be sad... you're still one of my favourite geniuses.", Andy smiled back.

"One of them?!", Tony gasped and now Andy started to laugh and Tony soon joined in as well.

~

They met a month later, that's how long it took to orchestrate this whole ordeal. Andy wasn't just meeting Shuri, she was visiting the royal palace in Wakanda! How fucking insane. She still didn't know why exactly a princess would want to meet her. All she was told was that it had to do with her mutant-activism.

During their flight Andy could barely sit still, driving everybody on board, Tony, Ace and herself nuts. "Do I look elegant yet professional?", she asked, posing in front of the two. She'd changed three times already, this time she was wearing black culottes, matching high heels and a maroon coloured short sleeved blouse. Her hair was still short, straight and dark brown and her lips were the same dark red colour she always wore these days.

"Andy, you look just as beautiful as the last three times, I don't know why you're even worried. She especially requested you, she isn't gonna care about what you wear.", Tony argued and Andy rolled with her eyes.

"She's a princess and I'm- I'm me. I never expected to meet a princess, excuse me for being nervous.", she snapped unnecessarily. She noticed it though, and tried to relax a little.

"For the last time, you've got nothing to prove.", Ace chimed in, rubbing his hand over his face. Andy narrowed her eyes at him before letting out a sigh and sitting down in one of the plane seats.

"That's easy for you to say, you aren't- I don't know- you don't come from the same background." Silence followed. The topic wasn't tabu or anything but over the years it had gotten less prominent. They didn't talk about it as much which wasn't anything bad. Andy wanted to leave it in the past. But now every time the topic did come up it was jarring and kind of out of place. Like they all needed a second to remember how to talk about it.

"Andy, nobody knows that about you. Nobody ever will.", Tony reassured her. "For all they know you grew up in a british boarding school." That was one of the many theories regarding Andy's accent. They never confirmed or denied it.

"Yeah, but I know, so it bothers me.", Andy admitted before letting out a frustrated groan. God, she was so tired of her own bullshit.

"If you're proving something to yourself then only you have to like it.", Tony said with a smile, knowing exactly that he just outsmarted Andy's anxious and faulty logic. Andy chewed on her lip for a while, thinking it over. He was kind of right. It was quite obvious, too and Andy was mad at herself for not thinking of that.

"I guess you're right...", she admitted and a wide grin split on his face.

"I always am.", he winked and Andy raised her eyebrows.

"Oh really? How about last week when you used the word infinitesimal, thinking it meant really really big when it's actually the opposite?", she challenged him.

"Or the time you thought your daughter was dead for 3 months. ", Ace added and both Tony and Andy gasped in unison.

"Low blow, bird man! Low fucking blow!", Tony exclaimed while Andy pulled out her phone.

"Yes, hello. Is this the police? I just witnessed a murder.", she joked and Tony raised his eyebrows.

"Really? We're joking about this now? Like I'm not an awful human being?", he asked and Andy rolled with her eyes.

"Oh come on, that was years ago. You know what they say, comedy equals tragedy plus time.", she argued.

"Still too soon.", her father shrugged.

"Nah, it's my tragedy, I get to decide when enough time's past.", she smiled. She didn't say that laughing about it made it easier because Tony knew. They all did. It's why she had a jacket with a patch that read 'Behold, the living dead girl!' And a t-shirt, poking fun at her HYDRA captivity. Humor was a coping mechanism, it always had been for her.

"Can't argue with that.:, Tony finally admitted and gave her a smile which Andy returned.

"Now back to the important question.", Andy then stated, sitting up straighter. "Does this look good on me?" Both Toby and Ace let out a groan and before Andy could even argue her father smirked slightly.

"Andy you're driving both of us and more importantly yourself insane. Chill out!"

Andy blinked a few times before letting out a laugh. "Have you met me? I think I'm physically incapable of doing that!"

~

Wakanda was like something out of a utopian scifi novel. It was breathtakingly beautiful and looked almost otherworldly. Andy was pressed to the window of the jet while they landed in front of the palace, trying to take in everything.

When she finally met Shuri... holy fuck, she was majestic. Andy felt like she was looking at the sun, which is the worst metaphor ever because usually it hurts to look at the sun but Andy didn't know how to put it differently. She just radiated warmth with her rich chocolate coloured skin, her sparkling eyes and her bright orange dress. Andy momentarily forgot how to speak.

"Andy Stark! I'm so pleased to meet you.", Shuri greeted her with a wide smile but didn't offer her hand even though she shook hands with Tony and Ace.

"It's an honour! Really!", Andy just smiled widely, too stoked to notice the difference.

Shuri smiled as well and after exchanging pleasantries she gave them a little tour of the palace. She showed them the throne room, introduced them to Okoye, the leader of the Dora Milaje, an elite group of female bodyguards and at last she showed them her lab and Andy could see that it was like fucking Disneyworld for Tony.

The two fell into a discussion about God knows what almost immediately, both using enough technical mumbo-jumbo to exclude both Ace and Andy from the conversation.

"Nerd-alert.", Ace smirked and Andy elbowed his ribs.

"Behave yourself, she's a princess...", she hissed but had to smile anyways. Andy's awe only intensified when T'Challa, king of Wakanda, casually strolled into the lab and he knew her name, he knew all their names and greeted them warmly and Andy might as well die on the spot.

"Now piss off brother, they are my guests.", Shuri quipped after a while before turning her attention to Andy. "Or you could entertain the boys while Andy and I talk.", she then suggested before winking at Andy.

She barely managed to conceal her blush. "Sounds great!"

~

Andy wasn't quite sure why all of this freaked her out so much. Maybe it was because she spend the majority of her life in the shadows, never knowing how amazing it felt to be out in the sun, to see the world and be seen by it. Or maybe she was still baffled that other people who didn't know her treated her like a person regardless.

It could've been any of those reasons or something completely different but whatever it was, it made this afternoon in Wakanda seem absolutely surreal and later Andy would wonder if it even happened.

There she was, sitting across from a literal princess, a cup of tea in her hand. The lounge they sat in was like everything else in Waknda, futuristic but with a distinct traditional feel and bathed in sunlight.

Shuri smiled at her before setting down her cup. "Okay, I'm sorry if I'm overstepping a line here but can I see it?", she asked curiously.

Andy knew what 'it' was right away, people always asked to see it and most of the time she didn't mind. Right now she didn't either, without missing a beat she transformed into a perfect clone of Shuri, copying her amazed expression like she was a mirror-image. She'd gotten better over the years, at keeping her look constant, at getting the details right.

"This is so cool!", Shuri exclaimed and Andy lowered her eyes, a smile spreading on her lips before she transformed back into herself.

"Your mutation is remarkable and that brings us right to today's topic. Mutant rights!" Andy straightened her back unconsciously before leaning forward a bit. She couldn't wait to figure out what this was really about.

"In the last 20 years the occurrence of mutant individuals has skyrocketed.", Shuri began before pressing a little button in the table between them. Suddenly a holographic image popped up between them, showing a chart documenting her words.

"Whenever an 'other' appears it brings conflict and that conflict has only gotten more severe ever since your very public outing one year ago. You have very much become the spearhead of the Mutant Rights Movement." , she continued and while Andy didn't disagree with anything she was saying it did feel kind of odd. Mostly because Andy knew what a mess she was, to think that anyone would describe her as a leader was irritating.

"Where are you going with this?", Andy asked, her interest peaked.

Shuri gave her a knowing smile before replying:"Our country has always been a few steps ahead of the rest and we'd like to be among the first ones to pass laws for the protection of our mutant citizen. The conflict isn't as apparent here but we've been observing the developments in other countries, especially the US and they are worrying. We want to stop the problem before it becomes one and make Wakanda a mutant-friendly country. My brother figured that it would be beneficial to discuss our plans with mutant individuals that are well-versed in the topic and your name among others came to mind." Andy was absolutely blown away, a mix of pride, honour and bafflement filled her.

Shuri didn't exaggerate when she said that the conflict in America was severe. It had only gotten worse over the last few years and recently a lot of right-wing politicians were pushing for a Mutant-Registration-Law.

Andy had talked to Raven, Charles and Erik about it countless times, all of them ranting but most of all Erik. His family was german and jewish and the majority of them didn't survive the holocaust. "It always starts with registration.", he once said bitterly.

Andy often got the feeling that she was yelling at a wall when talking to politicians, or like she was trying to move a mountain or empty the ocean one tea spoon at a time.

To hear that the leaders of Wakanda had just decided to support her cause, to make a statement and reform their own country, it felt huge, momentous, Andy couldn't believe it.

"First of all, I'm incredibly honored that you contacted me on the matter. If you're searching for other experts on the field, especially when it comes to the scientific side I can recommend Charles Xavier and Hank McCoy, they know far more about that aspect than me and helped me personally in learning to deal with my mutation. They also lead a school that focuses on educating mutants and helping them to control and use their powers. That should be something you think of when planning the inclusion of mutants in your society. Some of us can have dangerous powers, either to ourselves or others. It's important to teach mutants from a young age that their powers are not something to be feared but also something they need to learn how to control. I'm not well-versed in the laws of Wakanda but it would be important that mutants are considered equal to the humans in the eyes of the law. Something that we don't have in the US. It's important to ensure that they can't be fired from their job if someone finds out or loose their home. Again, I don't know how things are here in Wakanda but another huge issue we have back home are teenage-mutants running away from abusive homes and living on the streets. If that's an issue here, too, they'll need support to ensure a future and-" Andy noticed how Shuri smiled at her widely and blushed, not stopping it this time. "Oh, sorry, I was rambling."

"No, no, I love it, please continue, you seem to have thought a lot about this.", Shuri returned and Andy shrugged slightly.

"Believe me, there are so many things I'd change about my country if I could.", Andy then confessed and Shuri nodded in agreement.

She then narrowed her eyes for a second, focusing on Andy with a thoughtful look before finally leaning towards her as well, her full attention on the young mutant. "Tell me one thing, you aren't American judging by your accent and you also aren't in the position of an oppressed Mutant. Why do you care about the American laws if they don't really affect you. What drives you?"

If felt important, this question, like it was a test of character. Andy took her time with it before replying. "I wasn't always Andy Stark, I lived a life before this one and I-", nobody except her family knew about this but she felt like she had to be honest," I know what's it like to be abused for being different."

Her voice quivered slightly with that confession and she lowered her eyes, taking a few breaths before looking up again. "But it also doesn't matter what I went through. Or that I'm better now. Or that I'm technically not American. Bad things happen everywhere everyday and people watch and do nothing. Bad things happened to me and people watched. I'm not going to do the same. I can't. And trust me, I'm not arrogant enough to think that I'm the right person to lead a movement. But if nobody else is going to do it I might as well."

Shuri was silent for a while after that, watching Andy intently. Andy felt like she was under a microscope and it made her feel uneasy. Whenever people looked too closely she felt like they'd uncover something secret about her. Like they'd catch her doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing, even if it was completely unjustified.

Finally Shuri nodded before saying:"I think we made the right decision with you. Now tell me about your ideas."

They sat at that table for hours, Andy talked and Shuri listened attentively, taking notes and in the end they agreed to meet up again.

"You could be our Mutant-ambassador.", Shuri suggested with a smile and Andy returned it.

"I would love that."

The princess also promised to contact Charles and Hank to get their insight into the topic and when it was time to go back to the others and say goodbye Andy was filled with a strange satisfaction that she'd never felt before. Like everything she was doing had a point, wasn't just a useless exhaustion of her energy.

"I can't wait for our next meeting. Until then I'll write you.", Shuri promised. They stood in front of their jet. Tony and Ace were still talking to T'Challa, not paying the two girls attention.

Shuri move to hug her before quickly moving back. "Oh, sorry...", she mumbled quickly and Andy remembered their greeting.

"What are you apologizing for?", Andy asked.

Suddenly Shuri was the one that looked slightly embarrassed now. She stroked her hand through her long countless braids nervously. "I read a lot about you in preparation and I read an article where you said that you don't like physical touch."

Andy raised her eyebrows in surprise. It was true that some noisy interviewer once asked her about that because Andy was known for telling people to not touch her. For some reason people always took offense to that. Since she didn't really explain why she didn't like it, the interview didn't change anything. It was the first time that a stranger even considered that.

"That's- really respectful of you... thank you!", Andy smiled, pleasantly surprised and Shuri seemed to relax again. She then showed her the traditional Wakandan greeting, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Don't need touch for that. ", she said and Andy mirrored her movements.

"Exactly."

"And Andy?", Shuri asked right before they wanted to leave.

"Yeah?"

"If you ever need help, with whatever, hit me up.", Shuri nodded and at the time Andy didn't think much of it, didn't think that she'd ever take Shuri up on her offer. Oh, how clueless she was back then about what was to come.

In that moment everything was okay, though. It was better than okay, Andy truly felt like they were doing a good thing. Things were never that easy, though.


	4. Wade Wilson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got a long one for you today because I really love writing this, idk, I like their dynamic.
> 
> Please tell me if you enjoyed it as much as I did and Imight include Wade in future installments!
> 
> Also there are very brief absolutely non-graphic mentions of self harm and suicidal thoughts in this, very minor but I still wanted to warn you.

**April 2019**

 

Yes, you've read that chapter title correctly, it's Deadpool-time and I know what you're thinking right now. 'Wade, this story isn't written in first person, and you aren't even supposed to be the narrator!' Guess what, this might be Andy's story but it's my chapter and I don't give a fuck about the rules, so we'll have some fun with it. We're also gonna have some sad, 'cause Janna, the author of this, loves her angst.

Anyways, let me tell you about how I first met our little Miss-Doom-and-Gloom. You see, I was having the worst spring-break ever. You know, getting diagnosed with cancer, leaving the love of your life, getting tortured for weeks only to turn into Freddy Krüger, not the best of times. The highlight of that trip to hell was when I burned down the whole facility while still inside. No idea how Andy even found me in the rubble, probably plot convenience, but she decided to take me home with her for whatever reason and that's how I found myself in a cute little cottage, hurling knives at a little girl.

Considering that the last thing I could remember was burning alive, waking up on a comfortable couch, sunlight warming my skin, was a pretty nice change of scenery.

For a second I was convinced that I was dead but then I sat up and looked down at myself. I was naked but someone had put a soft blanket over me. It didn't hide all the scar tissue that covered every inch of my skin. A bitter taste filled my mouth. Right. Ajax, aka Francis fucked me up real good. And I definitely wasn't dead. Not sure if that was a plus.

My eyes wandered through the room and this place felt surreal. It was bizzarly idyllic. Flower patterned armchairs, wooden floors, thick carpets and rustic bookshelves. I almost expected a little granny to come shuffling in, offering some tea and cookies. That's exactly why I didn't trust it, it was too peaceful.

I got up as quietly as possible, someone had placed Jeans and a red sweater on the coffee table next to me which I put on a hurry. Fighting naked might give you the element of surprise but otherwise it's really inconvenient. Once I was dressed I started to move through the room and I picked the first door to step through.

It turned out to be a kitchen, fucking jackpot. Again, the whole furniture was granny-chic but I didn't care about that as much as the knife block. I went straight for the biggest one when I heard another door open behind me.

Without thinking twice I turned around and threw the knife. Only then I noticed that I just stabbed a little girl. In front of me stood a person that was at least one and a half feet shorter than me, very petite, with long straight dark hair and pale skin, dressed in all black.

She looked down at  the knife in her shoulder with pulled together eyebrows as if it was a just a small annoyance. Then she took the handle of the knife and pulled it out without flinching before looking up at me. "Now that's just rude, don't you think?", she asked and I was baffled by how completely unfazed she seemed as she threw the bloody knife into the sink.

"Can you blame me, Wednesday Adams? Who are you and where am I?", I asked urgently and the girl smirked slightly.

"Ah...right.", she mumbled and started to shift. It was like something rained down on her and then she started to change from head to toe, shifting into a tall blonde, with a very familiar face. "You know who I am.", she shrugged with a cheeky grin and indeed, I knew who she was.

Dead girl, turned Tony Stark's daughter, turned socialite, turned activist, turned... "Berserker!", I exclaimed and her smile dropped as she rolled with her eyes.

"I have a name, you know...", she groaned, moving past me to wash the bloody knife and put it back into the block. For the second time this day I doubted if this was real. Andy Stark, casually speaking to me. It's not like I was a fanboy or anything but whenever you meet a celebrity in real life is weird, you suddenly realize that they are a real person.

"What- Where am I?", I asked again and Andy didn't face me when she replied.

"A safehouse. I found you in the remains of a burned down hydra-facility. Would've been a dick-move to leave you there, wouldn't it?", she shrugged and opened a cupboard taking out two mugs. "Tea or coffee?", she asked casually and at this point I was so thrown that I might as well play along.

"You got hot chocolate?", I asked and she turned around giving me a small smile.

"I like your taste."

~

If you ever get the pleasure and curse of meeting baby Stark herself you should know that she's super irritating. Like, really. I know that I can be a lot, people have told me often enough, but Andy? She was so very different that for the first twenty minutes of our encounter I had no idea what to do with her. You know, I expected a fight, or an interrogation, or at least an explanation as to what the fuck I was doing here, but no. Instead I was sitting on a stool next to a kitchen isle, drinking hot chocolate while Andy made pancakes. She could just talk about food forever apparently. She told me about how the Black Widow taught her to cook and how much she'd hate it if the world found out that the badass russian spy had a thing for baking. It was all very harmless and surface level and I tolerated it until she set down the stack of pancakes in front if me. My patience ran out and it just burst out of me.

"What's goin' on here, princess?!" Andy froze up, something flashing in her eyes, something dark, even darker than the blackness of her eyes. It was gone in an instant and she grabbed her teacup before sitting down across from me, her face neutral.

I thought I might have to specify but Andy didn't even try to refuse to answer, she just started to talk. "The facility you were in, it belongs to a project called Weapon X-",I nodded, they told me the name, didn't tell me about all the fucked up stuff they'd do. "- it's a side branch of the HYDRA-mutant devision.", she then added an my eyebrows shot up.

"HYDRA as in Nazis?!", I gasped out and Andy nodded slowly.

"It's a collaboration. I don't think that they're all HYDRA but it doesn't really matter. I'm on the hunt for a specific HYDRA Scientist that works in the mutant field. Thought I might find him there, or clues but when I arrived, well...", she only shrugged, giving me an observing look like it was my turn to carry the conversation.

Unfortunately the only thing my stupid mind came up with was:"I let Nazis experiment on me?!" It's like I flipped a switched. A frown appeared on Andy's face before quickly shifting into cold neutrality.

"What do you mean you let them?", her tone was like the edge of a sword, sharp and dangerous and somehow familiar. I could've made a joke, would've come up with something funny,  anything. I didn't though... maybe because I felt disgusting, maybe because I thought that I'd die in that hellhole, maybe because this was the first time in weeks, maybe months, no idea how much time had passed, that someone showed me a bit of kindness and wasn't an absolute asshole.

"I- They told me they'd cure my cancer. When I wanted to get out it was already too late." The sharpness in her eyes faded almost immediately making way for something much deeper, much more vulnerable.

She let out a sigh, her eyes tracking my face and suddenly I felt like I was under a magnifying glass. Back then I hadn't yet gotten used to my dashing new looks and I would've preferred to crawl into a dark corner and stay there forever over her looking at me like this. "They do this to you?", she then asked, no disgust or pity in her voice.

"Yeah, tried to activate dormant mutant genes or something. All it did was turn me into a Walking Dead extra.", I grinned but there was a bitterness to it that I couldn't quite hide. 

Andy's eyes lingered on me for a second longer before she cast them down stroking her hands through her hair. "Fuck... ", she winced before looking up and to my shock her eyes were glistening. "I'm sorry...", she said and it didn't sound like a pity thing, it sounded like an apology, which made no sense at all.

"What for? You got nothin' to do with it?",I asked and Andy shrugged slowly, giving me a broken smile.

"I- I've known about this base for weeks, been staking it out, looking for the right moment while you... and how many more? They are all dead, you know. I searched the rubble and you were the only one that wasn't-", her voice broke of with a single sob and she pushed herself away from the isle, turning her back on me, her shoulders shook slightly, that was the only indication that she was crying, she was completely silent otherwise.

None of the shit she said made fucking sense but that's always the case with the self-blaming ones. They don't need logic to convince themselves of their own guilt. And not to say that I'm a big fan of logic, I haven't spoken to that bitch in years,  but it was painfully obvious that this wasn't Andy's fault but she clearly didn't see that.

"I started the fire.", I confessed and Andy spun around, a frown on her face. "I didn't mean to burn it all down, was just trying to escape, but it definitely wasn't your fault, it was mine.", I didn't feel crushing guilt after this, I had killed enough people to make death meaningless when it was justified.

Andy didn't seem to be that far gone, for some reason I wanted to preserve that. It'll sound crazy but in that moment I forgot who she was, that she was Iron Man's kid, rich and famous, part of the silver spoon crew. She didn't seem like it. Andy seemed... lost, like she had no idea what she was even doing, like everything was too much. Not like a girl that had everything handed to her all her life.

"Don't blame yourself, if it's anyone's fault it's mine.", I repeated before reaching out to pat her shoulder, and _damn_ , she flinched away like I was on fire.

"Don't touch me.", she hissed, her tone much sharper than before and something wild in her eyes. My eyes fell on my scarred hand and I felt pretty fucking dumb as I stuffed it into the pocket of my pants.

"Oh, yeah, sorry, it's pretty icky, I know.", I smirked, trying to cover up the embarrassment.

Andy's eyes looked down at my hidden hand before her eyes widened. "No, no that's- fuck- it's not because of you-"

"You don't gotta justify yourself, I'm fine.", I reassured her, _God_ , I couldn't stand to be pitied right now.

Andy wouldn't let it go, though. "But it's really not about you! I'm sorry- I- I don't care about scars.", she said and when I still didn't look convinced she pulled off her leather jacket and revealed pale slender arms with flawless skin. Only, it wasn't, not after she did her transformation thing, revealing countless scars, running up and down her arms, some had faded into thin white lines, others were thick and pink.

For a second I thought that she was just pretending, after all, she could look like whatever she wanted, these scars didn't have to be real. And where would they come from anyways?

Then I remembered that Andy had been in HYDRA custody for months and it all made sense. Not much was known about what happened to her during that time, all confidential and shit but suddenly her reason for being here, it all made sense. "Are you on some personal vendetta? Is that why you're here?", I asked, not mentioning how her skin instantly smoothed over again.

"Yeah. Trying to find the doctor that experimented on me.", she replied as she put her jacket back on.

"He did this to you?"

"No but... he did other things.", she replied.

"Like what?", I asked, raising an eyebrow but Andy was having none of it.

"That's confidential.", she snapped and I figured that I wouldn't be getting anything more outta her, at least for now.

"Alright, alright, what now?", I asked instead, my eyes wandering to the kitchen window. Outside the sun was shining, it couldn't already be summer, at least I didn't hope so.

"Now I'm bringing you home.", Andy replied before falling silent for a second, like she suddenly remembered something. "Do you still know who you are?"

"Do we ever really know who we are?", I replied, in a dazed tone to which she only rolled with her eyes.

"I'm serious, HYDRA fucks with people's brains, like Bucky Barnes. I'm sure you've heard of him. Did they do that to you?", she asked again, her tone steely.

An idea sparked in my mind, a pretty fucked up one but it was possible. "Did they do that to you?", I asked her and the way she took a step back, her eyes lowering already told me the answer.

"That's confidential.", she mumbled, avoiding my eyes.

"So that's a yes.", I said and Andy cringed slightly before looking up at me, her expression neutral again.

"Answer the question.", she demanded and I gave her a toothy grin before replying.

"I'm Wade Wilson and I know exactly who I am."

"Alright Wade Wilson, you got somewhere where I could drop you off?", she asked, before turning away and grabbing a backpack that was leaned against the door, pulling out a phone and car keys.

 _Home_. Where the fuck was home. My first thought was with Vanessa but I'd been gone for so long and I also looked like a raisin now...would she even want me?

"You passin' through Brooklyn?", I asked her and she glanced back at me.

"Actually, I do."

~

"Are Bucky and Steve gay for each other?", I asked for the third time. We had been driving for an hour now and Andy was getting increasingly... she was getting increasingly something. I couldn't read it though. She was either amused or annoyed or both. Or neither.

"For the last time, I'm not talking about my family!", she exclaimed.

"What about you and the chicken-wing dude?", I asked instead but the glare she gave me was warning enough.  "Okay, I'm sorry, Imma stop.", I chuckled, holding up my hands in defense. Than I got one of my gloriously dumb ideas. "If you tell me how you got those scars."

Okay, now she was definitely not amused any more, I'm telling you, if looks could kill, she might've even get someone like me. "Wade, I swear-", she snapped but I interrupted her.

"You said it wasn't HYDRA, who else did this to you? I'm just asking for a friend.", I asked, putting on a chipper tone. The scars, the adversity to touch, it all screamed 'abuse' at me. It would've made sense if HYDRA did this to her but otherwise it didn't fit into her rich kid lifestyle.

"It's confidential.", she replied and now I was the one that rolled with his eyes.

"Isn't everything with you? At least the things that are interesting.", I groaned.

"It isn't interesting, it's awful. That's why nobody is supposed to know.", Andy shot back.

"Girl, you just peaked my interest, I love talking about awful things! You get into an accident? Get attacked my a crazy animal? You slice yourself like a pizza?", I asked, sounding chipper and upbeat again and Andy gave me a look that might've been amusement.

"Why don't you tell me about some of your awful shit? You got any?", she then challenged me.

"Oh, honey, I grew up in shit-town. I'm the fucking mayor, nothing you'd tell me would shock me. ", I replied with a grin and this time she actually smiled.

"Is that so? Funny, never saw you there."

"Aren't you the daughter of the richest man in America?", I wondered and Andy shrugged, keeping her eyes on the road. 

"Haven't always been.", she replied simply. What the fuck was that supposed to mean?

"Uhh, rough childhood?",I asked but Andy just shrugged again.

"Who cares?"

"This bitch", I replied, pointing at myself with my thumbs. "So tell me, is your life like a one direction fanfic. Is your name Ashley and you have long brown hair with golden streaks and your shit mom that sold you off to the band but instead of a band you got the Avengers?"

"They are kinda like a boy band, aren't they?", she asked with a smile but I saw what she was doing.

"You're good at avoiding questions, Ashley, I'll give you that. Unfortunately I'm good at being annoying.", I said with a grin.

For a while she didn't reply anything to that and even though I didn't expect her to she seemed to think about it. Finally she gave in, honestly surprising me. "Okay, you tell me about you and I'll consider telling you about me, is that a deal?"

"Why the change of mind?", I wondered.

"I don't know, we still have to drive for a few hours, and maybe I feel like we were neighbors in Shit-town.", she winked at me before holding eye contact slightly longer than it was safe in traffic.

"Okay, so we already established that you grew up without a daddy.", I started and she huffed slightly.

"Tragic, I know."

"Also relatable, at least you got him now, what about mom?"

"What about her?", Andy asked, her tone neutral. Her whole upbringing, since she supposedly only met Stark at 17, was a huge mystery with countless theories as to how she grew up.

"You grew up with her?", I asked curious to finally find out the truth.

"Nah, only met her once a few years back. Told her to go to hell.", Andy smirked. Not what I expected, but fair enough.

"Ashley! That bad? Did she at least deserve it?", I asked dramatically and Andy grinned slightly.

"Trust me, she did. What about you?"

"Grew up with mom, wasn't around a lot, though.", I shrugged and Andy glanced at me.

"Work or drugs?" The question sounded far to casual which is exactly how I like 'em.

"Both, in combination. Who raised you?", I replied honestly but I also couldn't contain the curiosity anymore.

"My aunt.", Andy replied but there was a surprising bitterness in her tone. Maybe this mystery aunt was the villain I  this story.

"She a nice one?",I asked sarcastically and Andy let out a laugh but it didn't sound right, it was joyless and bitter.

"I locked her up and threw away the key. I think you can figure out that one for yourself.", she the said with a shadow of smile on her lips and I raised my eyebrows.

"Do you have anger issues or is your family genuinely shit? "

"She wasn't my family. The Avengers are."

"What she do to you?" It was a dangerous question. Andy could shut it down immediately and our conversation would end. Weirdly, I didn't want this to happen.

"Prostitution is the world's oldest profession, and I, dear Mister, am a professional."

"No!", I gasped, honestly horrified.

"Yeah.", Andy shrugged simply.

"Wait, as a kid?", I asked and Andy nodded. "That's disgusting! What the fuck?! Why isn't that bitch dead?! ", I asked enraged. This was worse than I imagined, fuck. Like, I can laugh about fucked up shit, mostly wenn it happened to myself, you can bring humor into everything if you're on the right side of the joke but... this was infuriating.

"Seemed too easy.", Andy replied weakly. Suddenly everything made even more sense, how she flinched away from me earlier.

"Is that why you don't-?" I didn't even have to finish the sentence. 

"Yeah. I said it's nothing personal, just with strangers...", another shrug.

"I get it.", I said to which she smiled gently. It was heartbreaking in a weird way.

"You really do, huh?", she asked after a while and her tone was slightly unsettling, it opened a pit in my stomach that had always been there in some shape or form. I ignored it most of the time but now it was demanding attention, glaring at me with all it's emptiness. I did get it, in a weird way, and Andy somehow knew that.

"I also gotta tell you that if anyone ever finds out about this one I'll fucking kill you.", she then joked, trying to shake up the silence that felt way to suffocating right now. I was thankful for that.

"I'd like to see you try, I just burned alive and came out fine. I'm pretty sure that I'm invincible.", I returned with a smirk.

"Oh, trust me, I'll find a way.", Andy winked at me, a cheeky smile pulling at her lips.

"Is that a threat or a promise?"

The girl let out a chuckle, raising her eyebrows. "You horny for death?"

"Yeah, absolutely, she's hot as fuck. You ever met her?", I replied honestly. Of course I assumed that Andy didn't know that Death was actually a Lady and sort of a pal of mine after all the times that I died in HYDRA custody. That's why it didn't surprise me when she read my answer as a joke.

"Nah, I'm pretty invincible, too. That's how I survived the throat slicing." I did remember seeing that a few years back, it was all over the news, not even censored, the whole fucking bloodbath. When Andy turned out to be alive later this official story was that the video was fake. Apparently not.

"Ah, yeah, saw that. Fucking nasty.", I said, pulling a face and Andy nodded with a little smirk on her face.

"Felt nasty, too."

"So they did the same to you as they did to me?", I wondered but she shook her head.

"I already was a mutant, the healing and transformation stuff was already there, they gave me something similar to the super soldier serum, enhanced my strength and speed."

"You took a sip of Cap's juice, huh?"

"You could say that. Also, I had the whole brainwashing thing, though I did live more comfortably than you.", she seemed more and more casual as we spoke about this, losing her inhibitions.

"Is this a contest now?", I laughed but Andy only gave me a shrug and another glance.

"Maybe. Shared life experiences is kinda hard to find, though it's surprisingly common in my line of work."

"Of course, you don't meet brainwashed science experiments with a history of abuse on the street or working as a barista at a Starbucks. Besides, the superpowers gotta come from somewhere, we can't all be born perfectly advanced like you, _Ashley._ "

To my delight Andy chuckled at that before saying:"Don't be jealous. I might've gotten physical superiority but in return I'm constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown. God couldn't make me powerful and mentally stable or I would've bested him at combat at age 17."

"That all might be true but I got neither perks which is precisely why I'm gonna personally fight him for a refund.", I shot back and she laughed once more.

"Tell me how that goes.", she then added with a grin.

"Why don't you just join me, Berseker.", I asked, teasing her with the name she didn't seem to like. It earned me another I roll. She didn't correct me, though.

"I'll admit, it's tempting but I already have enough battles to fight in our realm."

"I'm sure you do, but if you ever wanna go God hunting, hit me up.", I offered and she cracked another grin.

"Careful, I might take you up on that offer."


End file.
